U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,487 discloses a fluid dispensing closure and a package that includes a container having a body for holding a product to be dispensed and a finish having an open mouth. A dispensing closure is mounted on the container finish. In one embodiment, the dispensing closure includes a base and a lid integrally hinged to the base. The base has a deck with a dispensing opening. A flexible resilient dispensing valve is mounted within the dispensing opening by a separate retaining ring secured to the deck surrounding the dispensing opening. A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispensing valve, a dispensing closure embodying a dispensing valve, and a method of making a dispensing valve, in which the dispensing valve element is integrally molded to the valve mounting ring structure to facilitate handling of the valve after molding and automated assembly of the valve/mounting ring to the dispensing closure shell or other support structure.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects or inventions, which can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A dispensing valve in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes an annular ring of relatively rigid molded plastic construction and a flexible resilient valve element integrally molded with the ring. The ring and the valve element have at least one mechanical interlock to secure the valve element to the ring as the valve element is molded onto the ring. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the mechanical interlock includes through-openings in an inner periphery of the annular ring and pegs on the outer periphery of the valve element that are molded into the through-openings as the valve element is molded onto the annular ring.
A dispensing valve in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure includes an annular ring of relatively rigid molding plastic construction having an outer periphery for securing the valve within a dispensing opening and an inner periphery in the form of an annular ledge having an angularly spaced array of openings. A flexible resilient valve element is molded onto the ring so as to have an outer peripheral portion engaged with the ledge of the ring and integral pegs that extend into the openings on the ring to lock the valve element to the ring. Each of the openings in the mounting ring preferably is a through-opening that includes an enlarged portion opening at one axially facing surface of the ring ledge, and an ensmalled portion aligned with the enlarged portion and opening at a second axially facing surface of the ledge. The valve element preferably includes an annular flange in opposed engagement with the second axially facing surface of the ring ledge, and pegs integrally molded with the flat annular flange extending through the ensmalled portions of the through-openings into the enlarged portions of the openings.
A dispensing valve in accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure is of one-piece integrally molded construction that includes a ring of relatively rigid thermoplastic or thermosetting resin construction and a flexible resilient valve element of thermoplastic or thermosetting resin construction. The ring and the valve preferably are sequentially molded, and the ring preferably is of a material having a higher melt or higher softening temperature than that of the valve element. The valve element preferably is of silicone composition and the ring preferably is of nylon composition.